Suicide bombing kills 18 in Iraq military base (Second Lead)

Ramadi (Iraq), April 16 (Xinhua) The death toll from a suicide bombing inside a military base in central Iraq Thursday rose to 18 with 53 soldiers injured, a military source said. “The latest reports said that 18 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 53 others were injured in the blast,” the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attack took place after midday, when a suicide bomber disguised in a military uniform blew up his explosive belt inside a restaurant in the Habaniyah military base near the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

The bomber targeted dozens of Iraqi soldiers who are entering the restaurant during lunch time after their daily training, the source added.

Earlier, the source said 16 were killed and some 50 others injured in the bombing.

It was not immediately clear whether US troops were at the scene.

The source could not give further details as the incident is under investigation, he said.